Artificial-fuel block and process of producing same



ivo. $81,465

UNITED STATES "Tatented February 11964.

PATENT OFFICE.

MELVIN W. OOTTLE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO OOALEO FUEL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A COR- PORATION or MISSOURI.

ARTIFICIAL -FUE L BLOCK AND PROCESS'OF PRODUCING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,468, dated February 9, 1904. I

Application filed July 31, 1903. Serial No. 167,678. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I. MELVIN W. OOTTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Artificial-Fuel Blocks and Processes of Producing Same, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains acter indicated the invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed.

The present fuel-block can be of any convenient size and shape and contains the fol lowing ingredients: coal-slack, eighty-five per cent; pine sawdust, eight per cent; rosin, five per cent; glue, two per cent.

In the manufacture of the present block the coal is crushed and is mixed with the sawdust, rosin, and glue. This mass'is then subjected to heat in order to cause the glue to'thoroughly mix with the other ingredients and to bring the various ingredients into the best condition for causing the glue-to adhere to the particles, and a proper quantity of the mass is then molded into a block. The beforementioned mass is preferably heated by means of steam at a temperature of about 250 introduced into the mass, and the blocks are produced by subjecting them to great pressure, preferably of about four thousand pounds, so that the resultant block of artificial fuel is extremely hard. The steam at 250 is of course what is known as dry steam, so that drying out of the finished block becomes unnecessary. This hard block is clean and readily withstands handling and transportation. Furthermore, the hard block burns substantially as does hard coal. The block burns from the outside and does not fall apart, and substantially the whole of the block of fuel is consumed in burning, there being no clinkers and practically no v ashes. The present fuel also gives off no smoke while burning.

Any grade of coal can be employed in the manufacture of the present fuel.

The sawdust affords a porousmaterial which becomes thoroughly saturated with the glue or binding agent and fills the interstices between particles of coal, whereby this gluesaturated sawdust serves to firmly bind the coal particles together, very much as these particles would be held together if they were stuck in a lump of putty. The rosin, which permeates the mass, assists in the kindling of the block and quickly fuses and burns out when the block is kindled, thus leaving pores' or passages for gas and air, whereby combustion is promoted. v

I am aware that minor changes in my fuel and process of producing same can be made and substituted herein without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. An artificial-fuel block comprisingcomminuted coal, sawdust, rosin, and glue, intimately mixed with each other and in a solid cohesive mass; substantially as described.

2. An artificial-fuel block, comprising comminuted coal eighty-five per cent, sawdust eight per cent, rosin five per cent, and glue two per cent, intimately mixed with each other and in a solid cohesive mass; substantially as described.

3. The process of producing artificial-fuel blocks, which consists in mixing comminuted coal, sawdust, rosin, and glue, introducing steam into the mixed mass, and then molding the mixture while hot; substantially as'described. I In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 24th day of July, 1903.

MELVIN W. COTTLE. 

